This disclosure relates to smart refrigerators, and more specifically to an enhanced smart refrigerator for automatically populating a virtual shopping cart based on a calculated usage pattern of a consumer.
Many consumers purchase household items, including groceries, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and healthcare items, at fairly regular or consistent intervals. However, the length of these purchase intervals is highly dependent on the consumer or household. For example, a household that includes a family of four may purchase a gallon of milk and a dozen eggs approximately every week, a case of paper towels approximately every four weeks, and a container of over-the-counter pain reliever approximately every eight weeks. However, a person living by themselves may purchase a half-gallon of milk every week, a half-dozen eggs only every two weeks, and a case of paper towels every eight weeks. Accordingly, it should be understood that consumer usage or purchase patterns, or how often each consumer purchases a particular household item, are unique relative to each consumer (or to each household).
As technology becomes “smarter” (e.g., processing capability and speeds increase, connectivity increases), the “Internet of Things” has expanded. The Internet of Things refers generally to an interconnectivity to the Internet of previously unconnected items, such as watches, refrigerators, automobiles, and thermostats. The Internet of Things enables new functionality for these items, which, in some cases, can make the lives of consumers more efficient and more enjoyable. For example, smart refrigerators with Internet connectivity functionality may enable users to download recipes, view weather reports, maintain household calendars, and interact with social media, all through a user interface of the smart refrigerator. It may, however, be desirable to enhance the “smartness” of the smart refrigerator and expand its functionality for the consumer.